World Health Organization

Session information

6. Passport and visas

All travellers are required to possess valid passports or applicable travel documents with valid visas or entry permits to enter China. In line with bilateral arrangements, nationals holding valid diplomatic or service/official/special passports from the following countries may enter and stay in China for 30 days, without a visa. Ordinary passport holders from these countries require a visa.

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Mongolia

Myanmar

Thailand

Viet Nam

Nationals holding ordinary passports of the following countries may enter and stay in China for a maximum period of 15 days without a visa. However, if the duration of their stay is expected to exceed 15 days, an appropriate entry visa must be obtained in advance from Chinese diplomatic or consular missions:

Brunei Darussalam

Japan

Singapore

Travellers from countries other than those listed above, as well as holders of a United Nations laissez-passer are required to obtain appropriate entry visas from the Chinese diplomatic or consular mission at the point of origin or en route prior to entering China.

In all cases, travellers are reminded that visas will not be granted on arrival.

If there are difficulties in obtaining visas, kindly communicate immediately with the Administrative Services Officer, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila.

To enable the different Chinese Embassies to issue a visa, the following documents will be required:

letter of invitation from the Ministry of Health of China;

letter of invitation from WHO; and

visa authorization issue by the appropriate agency in China.

It is therefore very important for Representatives to send us the completed Travel and Accommodation Details indicating their expected time of arrival and passport details as early as possible to enable us to help in the issuance of their visas.

Please provide us with a passport-size picture (to be used in your ID for this session). The photograph is one of the security requirements of the Shanghai International Convention Centre.